The price of debt
by Hellish
Summary: To escape debts and death threats, Lucius marries his own son to a new found affluent witch in town who happened to be the know it all that Draco loathes in school but with a brand new name, Hermione Callisto. Let the chaos begin.
1. Prologue

**_The price of debt_**

By: yours truly, Hellish

Author's Notes: Another fanfiction by me brought to you by pure boredom and elongated vacation days. I did this after I edited the first chapter of PAHMP; editing my thirteen year old work got me really bored so I worked on something new instead. Before I begin, this fanfiction does not really follow what the previous 6 books have been all about but there will be bits and pieces of that and it may contain some spoilers(mainly book 6), I may have altered some events so you would want to be careful with that too. Take it easy with the reviews as I really hate flames, constructive criticism is another thing and is absolutely acceptable. Anyway, "The price of debt" is inspired by a book I read, kudos to the one who can guess. Anyway, here goes nothing…

Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing besides this pathetic beat down PC, but thankfully is functional,p teehee! I'm kidding. You probably get my drift now, so again dear guys I do not own Harry Potter, just a few minor characters and of course, this story's plot.

Summary: To escape debts and death threats, Lucius marries his own son to Hermione Jane Callisto, the daughter of the richest man in the wizarding world. A pact was made that neither Draco nor Hermione can breach much less, get a divorce. Will the marriage work? Or will it prove to be a mistake the two senile old men just thought of.

_**PROLOGUE**_

Lucius sat in his plush chair, his surroundings appealing only to the money left in his bank account in Gringotts.

The air surrounding the vast and elaborate room was cool and humid but that didn't prevent Lucius Malfoy from sweating profusely as he stared at the piling papers, debts and death threats before him.

For the past fifty years of his life, he had been rich, no… not just plainly affluent and rich, he was handsomely and incredibly rich and he was most sought after by most women including his lovely yet treacherous wife who left him with words saying, "I need to look for a better life than the one you provided me"

She was probably off to her sister Bellatrix Lestrange, but Lucius didn't have any interest in collecting her back, not when all she really wanted from him is the money from his pocket.

She was a gold digger, that was what she was but that didn't stop him from being besotted by her charms, as cold and as unfeeling as he was, he actually found himself ensnared by her beauty no matter how much of a cynic he claimed to be.

He shrugged the thought off; he need not worry about his treacherous wife whilst piling debts were in front of him.

He sighed unhappily, his long hair was a mess, Azkaban has indeed destroyed him and now he was left with nothing more than a son who still thought he was handsomely rich and a manor which would soon be taken away from him if he didn't pay his debts soon.

He once again drifted back into the thoughts wherein he could easily manipulate people into following him. He was once respected and well feared, but after landing in Azkaban, he became a bum, once handsome now ugly, once rich now poor and once young now old.

He hated the life, but with the dark lord gone, he had nothing left except the manor and the things inside it but, he didn't want to sell them as the ministry would discover his other illicit misdoings and charge him exorbitantly again.

He wouldn't have that.

Lucius pondered that if it wasn't for the dark lord's fall, he would have still been rich but no, he had been finally defeated by the mudblood lover and supreme Dumbledore's boy, Harry Potter.

After the dark lord's downfall, the ministry took over Azkaban as the dementors fled and placed a heavy fat bail on Lucius head, wanting the life of freedom, he risked it all and cleaned out most of his money from Gringotts and engaged in debts he knew he couldn't repay.

His enormous fortune didn't suffice for the greedy officials, saying that they needed his gold for the repair of the old ministry office and since he was one of the people involved in defacing it he was charged with a very heavy price.

And with prices too heavy to attain, he engaged himself in risky debts, debts he knew he could never repay.

His freedom certainly was something too extravagant to even hope for, for when he got of Azkaban a pile of death threats and debts greeted him first.

And those were long due.

He wiped the sweat on his forehead as he read another death threat, personally this kind of matter didn't use to trouble him but now with the dark lord gone and with his increasing debts, and he had no alterative.

He thought of reporting to the ministry but as he began to think of it deeply, he personally didn't trust the officials there, most especially if it was spearheaded by a vampire and right handed by a muggle loving fool, Arthur Weasley.

He wouldn't also want to reciprocate death threats with one of his own as he would most probably land in Azkaban again and get his arse in more trouble with no one vouching for him anymore.

No, they probably wouldn't sort this out.

He sighed in resignation and slumped back into the chair. He had never seen himself in a state so hopeless before.

In the vast office of expensive items and dark artifacts, he most certainly looked out of place as his hair was disheveled; his eyes bloodshot and his robes were unchanged.

He contradicted his past affluence merely by his indigent presence.

So there he was, no money, no wife but plenty of debts to risk his life into oblivion.

Draco wasn't helping the situation either, he was still engaging himself in gambling which he rarely won and lavish himself in the presence of expensive harlots and of course, have himself drowned in excessive vices.

Lucius should have told him about the situation, but he didn't have the heart to.

He lighted the furnace with his wand (which cost him a small fortune as the ministry snapped his wand into two before he landed on Azkaban) and buried his face in his hands.

This was hopeless; he had to hope for a miracle to happen in order to get himself out of this mess.

"Why so sad early in the evening, father? Come and have a whiskey with me" came a snide drawl from his doorway.

Leaning on its frame was his son, the epitome of every aristocrat in the wizarding world his stance was full of smug arrogance and his drawl dripped with vanity. He was holding a whiskey bottle on his hands with two snifters on the other.

Dressed in elegant black robes with silver edges, his hair slicked all the way back and a supercilious smirk, Draco Malfoy was very much in contrast to his bum of father

His father stared at him

_Draco Malfoy certainly had no idea how poor they were. _

Personally, Lucius didn't want him to know for he might end up like his bitch of a mother who ran off when Lucius had confessed, he only had Draco for now and he had every intention of keeping him.

He was after all, everything he has left.

Aside from the manor, the few items in it, his wand and of course his dignity and pride.

Even in the state of confusion and disarray, a Malfoy must not lose his pride.

Draco walked in to his father's study, taking purposeful strides as he went with the whiskey clutched on his hand.

When he finally took a seat, he smirked at his father

"You're looking quite off, father"

As if that wasn't quite obvious, with his father's gray hairs and clear wrinkles, he looked 15 years older than he originally is.

He was getting old after old.

Old and weak…

And poor

Lucius scowled at him, he didn't need to be reminded of that.

Draco poured him a whiskey and handed him a snifter and said, "So mother said she fancied a vacation"

'Vacation my arse, Cissy! What kind of excuse have you schemed up now, you good for nothing son of a bitch!"

Draco laughed sardonically, as if mocking their state.

Lucius cocked an eyebrow at Draco and was slightly thankful to his wife for lying to him, he didn't feel like telling Draco that they were broke.

"Your mother needed to unwind from all the stress she had the past days in getting me out of Azkaban"

Draco shrugged and took a long sip from his snifter, "I watched the men carry out two of our carriages and they said they were for sale, one had the family crest encrusted on it, now father, why would you sell one of our best carriages and of course one for my personal use?"

Lucius eyes rounded and he suddenly sputtered, "They were getting old and I had no use for them besides, I think one carriage is enough to suffice for the both of us"

Draco watched his flustered father with mild interest, he was going to enjoy this.

"Since when did you think about what is enough, father? You always taught me to get everything I want when I want it"

Lucius ignored the question, so Draco tried a new approach

"I also noticed some of the ministry officials getting the last of our house elves"

"I don't need unworthy and insolent servants in my house!" his father said indignantly

Draco inwardly smirked, he never saw his father so flustered, and he enjoyed just watching him about to go off any moment.

"I was thinking of purchasing a new broom, father, one for leisure riding and another for—"

"You will not!" Lucius said plainly

Draco grinned broadly and said, "I already did"

Lucius spat the whiskey on the papers before him and mildly spraying Draco who was patting off the spray his father had directed on him.

He just didn't do that! What little fortune he had left in his bank was cleaned out by his good for nothing spoiled son!

"To hell you did, Draco Malfoy—"

Draco was about to laugh at that moment but he said calmly twirling his wand about in his fingers, "So dear father, when are you going to tell me that we are indeed broke?"

His father stared at him, not believing what his son just said, and without a coherent train of thought he stuttered, "Whha—what!"

Draco smirked, "We're broke, right?"

"Yes, but how did you know?"

"You underestimate your own son, Lucius. Personally, I am not too daft as not to realize what the hell is happening around this manor"

"Since when did you know?"

"Since mother left, I didn't buy that bull about her having a vacation though, seeing as she packed most of her things and she packed your precious dark artifact that looked like a vase by the way"

Lucius ignored Draco's last statement, so his son knew all along and he still engaged himself in all those lavish activities.

Lucius last nerve broke

He went really red and Draco couldn't discern if it was from the whiskey or from his anger, though it was very much undeniable that Draco was enjoying this, hiding his chortles beneath his stony façade

"What the hell were you thinking of? If you knew then---!"

Draco laughed as his father sprayed him with spit, if it were another situation he would certainly not enrage his father like this, but seeing as he was enjoying the situation plus given his father wouldn't exactly think he was mature enough to handle their situation, it was nice to have him flustered over something Draco intentionally did.

"Then if you knew, why engage in lavish exploits!"

Draco merely smirked, "Take it all while it lasts…."

That was it, Lucius felt like strangling his son to his death but he wouldn't that, not just yet. He had to discern where his son got his twisted principles while he was here receiving death threats a day.

"Have another whiskey, father it will help you calm down" Draco said in a snide tone, taking advantage of his father's anger as he poured him more whiskey

Lucius gave him a dark look and was suddenly startled at his son's carefree reaction to their situation.

"You're mighty happy about this" he commented

Draco had to laugh "Shit happens, deal with it"

Lucius scowled again, "You do realize that when this so called "shit" is over, you'll be left with no money, no father and no more lavish and wasteful life"

That seemed to wipe off Draco's grinning face but he fired back with another outrageous comment, "This is just a phase, father we'll come through it"

Lucius personally thought that either his son was too daft to understand or he was just not smart enough to know what broke really meant.

"Do you realize that every morning, I get pelted with owls all bearing the same incentive, for me to pay back or else risk getting killed?"

Draco smirked, "I figured that out when you no longer had any peaceful sleep and when you had that awful façade fit for a bum"

Lucius ignored that, "You do realize what we have to do then?"

"Of course, we just have to sell our stuff"

"And dishonor what our ancestors have rightfully given us? I thought you had more sense, Draco"

Draco shrugged and said, "Then respond with a death threat father, use me instead I have a clean record in the ministry as I have never been involved in…ah…illicit matters"

Lucius rolled his eyes, it was either Draco was not really getting it or he was trying not to.

"You do realize the heavy bail the ministry now imposes, and with your menial tactics it is easy for you to get caught"

Draco sighed, "So? What do you intend to do about it? Personally father, I think this would be all easy, I mean, I am after all an eligible bachelor and or course, half the witches or probably all of them are seeking for my proposal, broke or not"

His son's vanity didn't least perturb him, but the idea did...but so suddenly and so unintentionally, his son gave him a good idea that he considered it.

"Yes well, that might do" Lucius agreed

"I know, brilliant isn't it? Now all you have to do is to find me a very beautiful witch who has plenty of money and we are off to a rich life again, and I think I'm going to bed I have had too much whiskey for tonight"

And without another word, he stood up and left without taking the snifters and his bottle.

Lucius sighed, it was handy having Draco around, he might actually be the one who would save him from this life he was currently living.

He wiped off some of the whiskey that he spat on the papers on his desk and noticed a newspaper that was also sprayed with his whiskey, he held it up when he noticed a familiar name.

The front page was blatantly announcing "Don Gregory Callisto is proud to announce the eighteenth birthday of his only daughter who he was reunited with exactly a year ago (to see full story see page 7)

Lucius stared at the paper, since when did that dear old betraying chap have a daughter?

Unless…

No, it couldn't be…

It's impossible…

Lucius read the story in page 7 and discovered that Don Gregory his rich partner and affiliate before is now reunited with his daughter and he read on…

"….Hermione Jane Callisto formerly known as Hermione Jane Granger is now residing in the manor of his father and is going to celebrate her eighteenth birthday on September 17…"

Lucius reread the paper twice and like a lightning bolt, it struck him.

Here was the answer to all of his problems.

Don Gregory Callisto, his former partner and affiliate is without a doubt the richest man in the wizarding world next to him but after a conflict they both got involved in, they never spoke a word to each other.

This wasn't going to be easy, but with his illicit ways it would and of course, Don Gregory would have to concede for the sake of his daughter.

Lucius was now smirking, his night had a good turnout.

He read the article once more and stopped at the word "Hermione Jane Granger", it had a definite ring, he sure had heard that before.

And now that he thought about it, it was the mudblood best friend of Potter, but she was no longer a mudblood now, she in fact a half blood. And that made all of it fit.

Lucius vaguely remembered Draco hating this girl, but what has to be done has to be done.

So, in fact this little girl would be getting more than a birthday party on September 17, he will be giving her a wedding too.

Lucius smirked once more, everything was suddenly falling into place.

Okay, I hope that was a good start. I know the characters are very much out of character as the one in the books but I wanted to show a different angle of them, I rated this R for later chapters and I sincerely hope you wouldn't berate me for that.

Note: You may have noticed how I altered some details in the story and left some parts of it hanging, but most of it will be answered in the next chapter. ;p That is all! ;p


	2. Chapter I

**_The Price of Debt_**

**_By: Hellish_**

_**Chapter I**_

Disclaimer: The characters of Harry Potter do not belong to me but rather to the self-eminent J.K Rowling, aside from the plot and some original characters, everything else belongs to her.

Author's Notes: I cannot name each chapter anymore, I find it very difficult and a tad bit too demanding, and so I'm doing something different this time. Also, chapters will be much shorter than the ones you've previously read from me. And of course to you, my dear reviewers I say thank you, I'm deeply gratified of your support ;p Oh and my dear reviewers, this story should have been long updated but due to continuous errant bandwidth behavior, it stayed in the computer for long, I sincerely hope I can update much sooner especially after three months without internet connection :D

Hermione stared outside her window; there was nothing unusual about the magical world at all.

Although some things may prove unusual to muggles, but other than the flying broomsticks, raucous samples for free spells and of course the riot to get the newest hair gel potion, everything seemed to be in place.

But no matter how magic seemed to fascinate and amuse her, she found something sorely missing in her heart.

Something she will always hold dear to herself.

_Her muggle world_

It was silly, because she was not a muggle, she was a witch, a muggle born witch but surprisingly exactly four months ago, she wasn't.

She was Hermione Jane Callisto, an heiress to her father's business dealings and an affluent member of the aristocracy in the wizarding world.

She never knew the origin of her blood but when her father came to collect her after almost eighteen years of abandoning her, everything began to change.

And she started living a life she never imagined.

The life of a princess…

A soft knock disturbed her thoughts; she magically opened the door to welcome her personal maid.

Somehow, even after four months, she was not yet used to this.

She always considered herself as an individual with no assistant to help her with whatsoever, and here she was suddenly blessed with the idea she resented and disagreed with first.

Her red haired maid gave her a warm smile and greeted her with a twinkle in her brown eyes.

"Good morning, Miss"

"Good Morning, Tosha" Hermione said brightly

"What would you like for breakfast today, Miss?"

Hermione smiled at her then said,

"Don't worry about it, Tosha I'll come down for it and prepare myself something okay?"

Tosha looked taken aback and started toying with a titan lock of her crimson hair.

"Are you sure you don't want it delivered up here?" Tosha asked uncertainly

Hermione smiled, "Of course, don't you worry. Tell my father I'll be down in ten minutes, and then my father and I can have breakfast together"

Her maid looked at her reluctantly, then she actually smiled gave a slight bow (Although, Hermione was very much against this, she could do nothing) and went out of her room.

Hermione gave another sigh, and stared out the window again, it was a wonderful sight, some of the sun's rays were peeking from a nearby mounting, casting a beautiful glow to the nearby village, making it all seem so surreal and magical.

She gave a little laugh at her own irony; she was already _living_ in a magical world.

It was ironic, she always thought that she missed the magical world she left behind every summer and always looked forward to grace it again.

Now she realized, that the thing she was really missing was right there in front of her and in four months time, she lost it in trade for the life she was living right now.

She stood up and giving the view one last admiring glance and walked towards her enormous closet, her father didn't exactly spoil her with gifts, but with his affluence, it was easy to always get the best among the other products, although Hermione didn't really want them all.

She took the clothes she wore the day before, there was no reason for more laundry than there already is.

Dressed in a simple creamy white skirt and a comfortable yellow sweater with laced details, she looked as plain as the maids, if not even plainer.

But this was the life she had lived for the last eighteen years of her life, even her biological father couldn't change that and Hermione was glad he didn't try and do so.

She pulled her hair up in a single ponytail with a white ribbon, just recently her father and she got along well, but before all that Hermione recalled rejecting her father, she didn't come down for breakfast and refused to see him at all.

It was immensely difficult to deal with someone who you knew walked out from your life almost eighteen years already and walk back in so suddenly.

It took a lot of adjustment but after a few months, she discovered that she and her father had a lot in common and that she really didn't give him any chance at all.

But still it would have helped if he brought mother along or better yet, hadn't broken up with her at all.

Hermione never really knew what caused the break up or why her father deserted her in the first place, she never really asked, never really wanted to know, it was between both of her parents or maybe

_It was because of her… _

Whatever it is, she may find out soon, if her father would tell her.

Staring out at her lavish room, she realized she only had three minutes left to go down.

She quickly put on some yellow day shoes and went down immediately to the dining area.

When she went down, her father was already there reading the day's paper and sipping his morning coffee.

Hermione smiled, even if she used to resent this man, family is family and she can't help but think that the sight of her father in the breakfast table was deeply heartwarming.

"Good Morning, Father" she greeted with a warm smile and went to her seat, situated across from her father.

Her father gave her a grin, "And good morning to you too, princess"

Hermione laughed, she wasn't really used to the nickname her father gave her but still it fitted her role perfectly.

"Coffee?" her father asked

"No, I'd rather have milk instead"

And almost instantaneously, a maid filled her clear glass goblet with creamy milk.

Hermione inwardly smiled, although her father was trying hard to please her for the past four months, he didn't do it by showering her with gifts which she knew she didn't want and need but instead, he did it by adjusting his or rather their life to her ethics.

Like the disappearance of house elves for an instance, it was then that Hermione noticed that her father's place was littered with house elves; Hermione didn't exactly point it out that she wanted them free but somehow her father sensed it and replaced them with maids instead.

Though Hermione treasured her independence a lot, it seemed a lot easier to run this place with maids than just she and her father, so she accepted the fact that their place was overrun with maids.

At least it was better than house-elves who indignantly refuse payment.

A delicious and sweet aroma was wafting from their kitchen and soon enough, breakfast was served, her traditional favorite bacon and eggs with waffles glazed in honey.

She ate heartily with her father at the little table situated near the kitchen while her father continued to read his paper.

As Hermione drank her milk, something caught her eye, a smaller paper than the newspaper her father was reading beside her father's coffee cup.

"Father, what is that paper for?" she inquired

"Oh, it's a paper that comes along with the Sunday Prophet" his father chuckled "Although, it's mainly for gossip purposes only and a few mind games, well you might enjoy it, so take the paper"

And so he handed it to her, Hermione took it and opened it.

And as her father told her, it was indeed full of gossip, not much of the daily news and a few mind games, none of which she would have a hard time discerning.

While eating her bacon, she flipped through the pages and stopped short on page number 12 when a certain audacious article caught her eye.

_**Witchy Gossip for the Day **_

**Pureblood, from riches to rags; can he cope?**

**Writes Rita Skeeter **

Lucius Malfoy, one of the many notorious deatheaters and supporters of the Dark Lord has finally fallen into impetuous hands, with his recent freedom from Azkaban; Mr. Malfoy has engaged himself in various and negligent debts to ensure his freedom and to pay off the Ministry's exorbitant bail and heavy tax. Left penniless, Mr. Malfoy lives the life of indigence and of a pauper something very much in contrast to the way he was living before. Mr. Malfoy lives in the Malfoy Manor together with his son, Draco Malfoy with what's left of their fortune. So witches and wizards alike, you be the arbiters of this gossip, can a man of extraordinary wealth cope with a destitute life such as this?

Hermione stared and read the paper a couple more times before she finally got the news into her system.

Draco Malfoy?

Broke?

It didn't even seem to fit.

As far as she could care, Draco Malfoy was the school's richest spoiled brat. He got everything he wanted, from the broomsticks he demanded, the food he wanted delivered to the women he wanted in bed.

In the snap of a finger, he got his heart's innermost desires, and nothing stopped him from doing so, even in the midst of his classmates.

He expected the same from them. Although, to Hermione it was absolutely childish maybe it was just the way he was raised, a boy you could never say no to.

Or maybe Malfoy just has his ways of getting what he always wanted.

Either way he came out as the winner.

The news was too much of a shock that it didn't even occur to her that she just read an infamous name that used to be out of the writing career.

Hermione grinned, it was her fault Rita Skeeter didn't last long but she could be working for smalltime articles now.

Especially articles that will tarnish wizards' and witches' reputation, yeah…that's it, good old Rita!

Hermione gave a silent chuckle; she couldn't imagine Draco scouring****about in the streets looking for money to buy the latest broom.

Well, maybe girls won't fancy him too much this time, Hermione thought with a laugh

"I certainly don't"

But then again, as they always say in school, there was more to Malfoy than his wealth.

To Hermione he was nothing more than a spoiled pig-headed hyena that can't be reasoned out with.

And that was about as low as he can ever get.

Hermione gave a little laugh and her father regarded her with mild interest

"What entertains you so much, Hermione?"

Hermione finished the rest of her waffles and eggs and said, "Oh nothing much, father, just a gossip I read about a former classmate of mine but in case you're interested, story's on page 12"

She then excused herself from the table and went up to her room, as she took the flight of stairs she realized that she really hadn't had that much conversation with her mother lately.

She gave a thoughtless smile; everything was starting to be in place.

And with everything in order, everything seemed to go her way and the way she wanted it.

Gregory took a sip from his coffee as he watched his daughter make her way out. And he immediately noticed that his daughter didn't change clothes since yesterday.

Gregory gave a sigh, Hermione was just as stubborn as her mother, he will never try to change that, it reminded him of his staunch wife anyway.

He smiled, he has never been happier in his life, he reunited with his daughter again and they began to get along well, everything seemed to be so perfect he was almost afraid something might ruin it.

After those long years of waiting, he finally attained the peace he was hoping for, the peace he was always waiting for.

And he finally felt what it was like to be a father, a father to the most amazing daughter.

And with that, he even got to feel the presence of his wife but nothing is too perfect, even her love he could not gain back.

So he tried as much as he could to gain Hermione's daughterly love for him, she might not love him yet but she was certainly friendlier to him.

He took the little article his daughter was reading a while ago and proceeded to the lounge room without even finishing breakfast.

As he went inside, he sat on his favorite lavender plush couch, and with much satisfaction he took his pipe and lit it.

As he blew his first smoke, he read the article his daughter read.

After a while, his eyebrows shot together.

Lucius Malfoy?

Broke?

He had to laugh, that domineering aristocrat finally got what he deserved.

"That's what you get for being an insufferable bastard—"

A sudden blast of flame startled him from behind.

As he looked about, a tall figure with platinum hair was dusting the soot off him.

"Pleasure to see you so…ahh, healthy, Gregory, I trust you are well?" he said in that voice that dripped with arrogance

"Lu---cius?"

Lucius smirked; broke as he might be he certainly didn't look like it. Although lines were certainly visible, he was still a spectacle of an aristocrat.

Dressed in blood red robes, with his hair pulled in a low ponytail with a serpent staff clutched in his right hand, he exuded power, arrogance and….malice.

Lucius sneered at Gregory's unfaltering stare, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Amazing isn't it?" he started "I am currently banned from certain privileges and my manor is being overrun by Ministry officials daily yet none of those imprudent officials ever got around to blocking my floo-network, although I am highly against Floo traveling as it is very uncomfortable, I find it's advantages deeply satisfactory" he said dusting the remnants of soot on his robes.

Lucius looked up and regarded his surrounding with mild interest, "Pleasure to see you again, Gregory, I'm am astonished to find you so affluent although you could do some redecorating, as some of your furniture do not match"

And with that he looked at the plush couch and the easy chairs around at the corner.

Gregory, much more muscled than Lucius is, regained his composure and stance then placed his pipe on the end table beside him.

And with much wariness in his voice, he asked "What are you doing here, Lucius?"

Lucius smirked, "Oh dear me, Greg, I ought to have a better welcome than that especially since you regarded me as what? an insufferable—"

"The point is why are you here?" Gregory cut him off

"Well, if you want to directly get into business then I believe we should seat ourselves on one of your mismatched furniture"

Gregory ignored the cheek, "I'd rather stand up, Lucius you go ahead find yourself a spot in my "mismatched" furniture"

Lucius chuckled and seated himself, "Oh dear me, Greg I am here not only to insult your furniture but offer a proposition as well"

Gregory cocked an eyebrow at him "What sort of proposition is this, Lucius?"

"One that concerns your daughter"

His plain answer made Gregory freeze.

"As far as I can recall, your daughter and my son used to go to Hogwarts together and they have the same classes, and I could recall Draco referring your daughter as a smart assed mudblood—"

"If you say one more word about Hermione—"

"I understand your fatherly affections to your "newly appointed" daughter, Greg but I am not finished yet" Lucius countered sarcastically, waving his anger off

"Your point is?"

"I am broke; Greg and I need your fortune in order to evade death threats"

Gregory cocked and eyebrow once more and said, "And what does my daughter have to do with this?"

Lucius maliciously smiled and said, "I want her to marry my son"

Gregory momentarily lost train of thought, after he finally digested that in, he firmly said, "I understand that I have a very pretty maiden in my house—"

"Oh dear no! This does not concern any of your daughter's horrid beauty"

Gregory considerably reddened with fury, and Lucius taking advantage of his anger invited himself to some wine, pouring it onto a crystal glass snifter.

Taking a sip, he said, "I want to make a toast, Gregory"

Gregory said nothing and Lucius could tell he was near his boiling point, he smirked like his son, he too found it fun to drive other people crazy and mad.

He gave a silent laugh, raised his snifter and said, "To our united families"

Before he could stop himself, Gregory lunged at Lucius and threw the snifter on Lucius hand.

For a moment, there was silence and only the gentle sounds of tinkling broken glass could be heard.

"I have not" Gregory said through gritted teeth "agreed to this"

Lucius laughed, "Get a hold of yourself, Gregory your daughter is of marrying age and—"

"Hermione is only eighteen and she is my daughter!"

Lucius's smile faded

"Well then, I am betting that your daughter knows nothing of your horrid past, Greg _you are practically a stranger_ who walked into her life four months ago yet your daughter has this amazing gain of trusting you and think about it, if she does indeed know about your past, will she be able to trust you again or much less, love you as her father again? I don't think so, after you've finally reunited with her after all those long years, are you willing to lose her again? I think not, you think about it, would you want me, your long time old chap to reveal the things you always tried to keep buried and concealed from her? Or moreover, you tried to make yourself forget?"

Gregory's blue eye's clouded, he looked away and he staunchly said, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about"

"Oh?"

Lucius then grabbed Greg's right arm and burning pain shot through Greg's arm, "You don't, Greg? How could you ever forget? Remember, it burns in the face of betrayal, he may be gone but he burdens those who were traitors to him"

Gregory yanked his arm from Lucius grasp and shook it to try and ease out the pain, he broke into cold sweat.

"I never forgot about it, Greg, you betrayed not only him but your dear friend, Lucius as well"

Still grasping his burning arm, Greg asked, "Why? What do you want?"

"I've already said the terms, Greg; I want your daughter to marry my son"

"Why!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Gregory"

"Well then, why can't I just offer you money instead?"

Lucius lip edged up "Easy, because I want your limitless fortune"

Greg looked at him disbelievingly still drawing in sporadic breaths, no! This is not happening again, he thought of his daughter's trust when he finally gained it, he's going to lose it again.

No way Hermione would ever forgive him for this, who would? Who would want to marry someone you know you never really want?

He couldn't do it; he couldn't do that to his own daughter

"I see your not taking my propositions well, then I trust your daughter will enjoy this bit of news about her father—"

"Wait!"

Lucius broadly smiled, it was already working, and they were so easy if only you knew how to manipulate them.

Greg pondered hard about it, maybe it'll be better than have his own daughter find out about his past, and then in that way he would never have her back.

Hermione will kill him for this.

His daughter's smiling face shattered before him.

And with much reticence he said, "I'll do it, I'll agree"

So there it is folks and reviewers, my chapter 1 of the story, yeah it's a little short compared to the other stories I've made but hey! I found out that this was a lot easier to write and update than the rest as it has a rather simplistic plot, one that's easy to manipulate than the rest ;p Okay guys, it's time to get my ass outta here, so you know the number one hellish rule: You keep reviewing, I keep updating! Thanks again for all the support!


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